BEAUTY ALIXIRS

The brush is definitely unique. The bristles are teeny tiny. Short and spread apart.

Here are some pictures of the product in action.

Naked Lashes

Lashes curled ( what a difference!)

Applying the product...

One Coat

A LOT of product is deposited on the lashes since the bristles on the brush are spaced so far apart. I'm personally not a fan of the clumpy look, so I went over this with a lash comb and the results are below:

The conclusion: this mascara is on the wet side and deposits way too much product for my liking. I't's not a mascara that i'd use by itself, but I think it works well in combination with other, more defining, mascaras ( like Maybelline the Rocket mascara), which when layered on top, creates a cleaner look while still maintaining volume. 

xoxo,

alixirs

First up is the Brambleberry Roise Lip Balm. When I saw the packaging I knew I had to have it! It's just so precious. I'm not quite sure what Brazzleberry is but the scent of this particular lip balm is VERY strong. I'm talking so strong I could smell it before I even broke the seal on the packaging. It's a very sweet scent that is almost sickeningly so. Gotta say, not a huge fan.

Next is the Minted Rose Lip Balm. This is the one I was the most excited for, as I typically love a mint-scented lip balm. It's much more subtle than the Brambleberry. You get a hint of mint and rose. Perfection!

The original is simply rose scented. Oldie but goodie!

Swatched from top to bottom: Original Rosebud Salve, Minted Rose Lip Balm, and Brambleberry Rose Lip Balm.

A few things to note: 

1. three come with 14.2g or 0.5oz of product, which is a lot!

2. All three look pretty much clear on the lips

3. The original is called a salve/balm and is stated to be multipurpose (ie you can apply it on heels, hands, cuticles etc), while the minted rose and brambleberry rose lip balms are specifically called "lip balms".

Overall, will definitely repurchase the original and the minted rose lip balm. My nose can't quite get used to the overbearing scent of the Brambleberry. Too bad, since the packaging is so adorable.

Have you tried any of the Smith's rose balms? Do share!

xoxo,

alixirs

I picked up these from my local Shoppers Drug Mart: New Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid lipsticks in Nude Thrill and Nude Flush! Take a look!

(Nude Flush on the left and Nude Thrill on the right)

Nude Flush is a muted rose color that's very wearable.

Nude Thrill is more of a brown-toned peachy nude that works well with a wide range of complexions.

Swatched: Top Nude Blush, Bottom Nude Thrill

On Lips: Nude Blush

On Lips: Nude Thrill

The product has a very nice creamy consistency that is almost mousse in texture and not runny, which makes application quite easy. While I like both colours and chose them for their wearability, I feel Nude Thrill is more suitable for wear around the office. It's very understated. Together with some mascara and eyeliner creates a very put-together-but-not-over-the-top look.

The product has a slightly nondescript fruity smell which disappears quickly. I will say though, that they have a mildly numbing effect on the lips. Not plumping or stinging...just numbing.

Overall rating: A

Love the colour, texture, and application of these! Will definitely pick up more!

xoxo,

alixirs

If you have straight lashes like I do then you know that short of using waterproof mascara, which is really hard to remove, almost no regular mascara alone will keep them curled.

In comes Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer! Before trying this mascara primer, I tried the MAC lash primer, which didn't keep a curl, and the Shiseido. While the Shiseido is great, it is pretty pricey at $25 CAD per tube. Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer is about $8CAD on eBay!

The tube has a simple design and the brush is pretty standard as well. The formula of this baby is amazing! I curl my lashes and apple 1 coat of this and use any normal non-waterproof mascara over top and voila-- curled lashes that last all day and can be easily removed with bioderma or warm water. 

Here are some photos of the product in action (Warning: Super close-up eyeball action):

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(Naked lashes)

(Naked Lashes. LOL @ selfie reflection.)

Lashes - Curled with Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Applying Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer

Curled lashes with Dr. Mascara Fixer. Lasts all day!

With Dr. Mascara Fixer and 1 coat of Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara.

xoxo,

alixirs

The first is the Skyn Icelands Glacial Cleansing Cloths. The pack comes with 10 single-use cloths. I'm a huge fan of cleansing wipes, especially the Neutrogena ones. However, taking a look at the ingredient list on this pack I saw the unfortunate words: "Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract", as well as "Benzyl Salicylate", both of which are either Salicylic Acid or some form of said acid. 

As you may know, my skin is very allergic to salicylic acid. The 2% in Neutrogena face wash was enough to cause a chemical-burn-looking rash for a week before calling down with prescription steroids. That being the case, I won't be trying out these wipes. *womp womp*

Next is the J.Cats Beauty Blinkle Shimmer Eyeshadow in 102 Tangerine Light.

The colour is a burnt reddish-orange metallic shade which really isn't my cup of tea, but I'm sure others would love.

Next is the OFRA Eyebrow Pencil. Is the shade called "Universal"? It's an ashy brown color which would probably suit a lot of hair colours. I usually use a grey eyebrow pencil (Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil) as it's a more natural colour for my black hair. 

Next is the TreStique Mini Matte Lip Crayon in Florence Fig.

The shade is a dusty reddish-mauve which is great for the winter months.

The Balm's Mr. Write (Now) Eyeliner Pencil in Jac is an interesting brown-gold colour. It's an automatic pencil and comes with 0.28g of product. 

Swatches of the products from top to bottom: 

Ofra Eyebrow pencil in Universal

The Balm Eyeliner in Jac

toreutique lip crayon in Florence Fig

J.Cats shimmer shadow in Tangerine light

xoxo,

alixirs

I'm fairly new to the liquid lipstick game, and decided to try out Hourglass' based on the beautiful shade "Icon" which is a blue-toned red, shown here on the right. Since i'm new to the game, I picked up the travel size of Canvas and Icon.

These travel size liquid lipsticks are teeny tiny. They're probably to bigger than my thumb. Each tube contains 0.03oz or 1g of product for $12 CAD.

The texture is a soft lip creme that tries down quickly but doesn't feel drying on the lips. Both of these colours applied smoothly but Icon was more liquidy and opaque. Unfortunately for me, Canvas, which is a dusty pink, showed up rather bright and slightly clownish on my skin. 

Both of these shades lasted 4+ hours on me with minimal drinking and eating. My lips felt comfortable throughout and not dry at all. I would definitely be keeping Icon, but Canvas is a shade I might be returning as it simply doesn't work with my complexion. 

xoxo,

alixirs

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01 comes with 7.5g or 0.26oz of product. On the skin it's a warmish champaign colour which adds a little drama to your everyday highlight. It's very finely milled and applies beautifully with a finger or brush.

The Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light comes with a highlight and contour. The highlight is the one I use more. It's the most intense highlighter out of these four, and probably the least finely milled. It's also the most affordable of the four, and is very close to the Laura Mercier one except more intense and on the white-pinkish side. This product comes with 14g of product (highlight+contour).

MAC MSF in Perfect Topping was a limited edition shade. The veining in the product makes each one unique. Perfect Topping is the warmest of the four with a peachy undertone which works well as an everyday highlighter. Similar shades in the range include Lightscapade, which is lighter and whiter, and Soft and Gentle, which is more of a golden champagne.

MAC MSF comes with  10 g or 0.35 oz of product. 

Hourglass recently launched their Ambient Strobing Lighting powders and I was delighted to see Incandescent light among them. (shown above in the middle of the Ambient Lighting Palette). When this palette first launched this shade immediately became a favourite, though I had to use it sparingly as the palette itself cost $67 CAD at the time and each shade of powder inside was only 3.3g. This powder is my favourite for every day. It's one of those highlighting shades that has little to no sparkle, but just brightens up the skin. It's definitely appropriate for wearing at work, even in the most conservative of offices.

Above and below are some swatches, from top to bottom: Laura Mercier Matte Radiance, Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting powder in Incandescent, Sleek Contour highlight in Light, and MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Perfect Topping

xoxo,

alixirs